







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | |
| 360 degrees should be good. | |
| How is your cat? | |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | |
| Hope to see you later. | |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | |